As the year draws to an end and people gear up for New Year’s celebrations, Daryl’s House Club in Pawling will help kick the weekend off with three New York area acts this Thursday December 29 – Honeycomb, Karma Darwin, and headliner Moon Hooch.
Based out of Massachusetts, Honeycomb is a beat box performer with a loyal following and a successful ranking finish in the 2015 American Beatbox Championships. Not only does he have a lot of studio experience including a collaboration with Moon Hooch, he has also worked with many DJs and jam bands at festivals. Appearing also before the headliner is Karma Darwin out of Brewster, NY. Formed in 2013, the band has an 18-track self-titled album and has won the Capitol Theatre’s (Port Chester) battle of the bands contest in May 2014.
From their busker days in the NYC subways five years ago, Brooklyn’s Moon Hooch has since exploded, gaining many followers and refining and refocusing their drum-and-sax dance sound to build off the energy commonly found at their live shows. Earlier in 2016 the band released its second full-length album Red Sky and just before Christmas released The Joshua Tree EP, available for free (or small donation) from their website.
New Year’s Eve and New York City go hand-in-hand. While the celebration and ball drop in Times Square receive the most attention from people around the world, there are also a ton of musical happenings in the city, with Phish’s storied Big Apple New Year’s Eve run at Madison Square Garden, December 28 to 31, 2016 being one of the big highlights. Here’s a rundown of the shows happening, some billed as Phish after-parties and some shows worth mentioning on their own accord. There’s something for Phish fans and non-fans alike in the city during the days leading up to 2017.
American Beauty, just a block from MSG, is hosting several Phish-related events. They kick off the run on Dec. 27 with a free show by Phish tribute band Jibooty and a late set from Escaper. The show starts at 7 p.m. The following four nights, they feature Phish pre-parties and after-parties. Dec. 28 sees PEAK and Gang of Thieves playing a pre-party at 4 p.m. for $5 and Particle and J. WAIL playing the after-party at 11:55 p.m. for $20. Dead Sessions plays tribute to the Grateful Dead for both the pre-party at 4 p.m. and after-party at 11:55 p.m. on Dec. 29. These shows are $20 each. Phanart presents a free pre-party on Dec. 30 with Formula 5 starting at 3 p.m. Spafford and the Magic Beans play two nights on Dec. 30 and 31 after Phish. They start at 11:55 p.m. and are $25 for each night. The pre-party on Dec. 31 features the Stella Blues Band paying tribute to the Grateful Dead at 4 p.m. with a $15 cover.
DROM in the East Village hosts two Phish after-parties on Dec. 28 and 29. Aqueous plays the 28th with Mungion. The show starts at midnight with tickets at $12.50 in advance or $17 at the door. The 29th sees lespecial with Chromatropic. The show starts at 11:30 p.m. with tickets going for $12 in advance or $15 at the door.
The Cutting Room, a handful of blocks from MSG, is also hosting several Phish parties, all presented by CEG. Elise Testone brings her “Thankful for Amy” tribute to Amy Winehouse with several special guests for an early show at 8 p.m. and a Phish after-party at midnight on Dec. 28. Tickets for both are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Kung Fu plays an after-party on Dec. 29 at midnight with tickets at $18 in advance or $20 at the door. Holly Bowling pays tribute to Phish and the Grateful Dead through her solo piano work at pre-parties on Dec. 30 and 31. The shows start at 4 p.m. with tickets running $15 in advance or $20 at the door. The Marcus King Band plays the after-party on Dec. 30 at midnight. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.
The Brooklyn Bowl has a series of shows leading up to the new year. Zeppelin Bowl, featuring Gene Ween, Scott Ian and John Medeski, takes place on Dec. 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and still available. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead plays a sold out show on Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. Late night on the 29th is Talib Kweli performing a DJ set at midnight for $10. Kamasi Washington and the Budos Band are playing Dec. 30 and New Year’s Eve. Tickets are $40 for the 30th and $65 to $75 for New Year’s Eve. Both shows start at 8:30 p.m. Sleigh Bells is playing a DJ set late night at midnight on the 30th for $15 with Animal Collective doing the same on New Year’s Eve for $20 to $25.
Being New York City, there are plenty of other shows taking place that are worth checking out. See below for a rundown.
Wednesday, Dec. 28
PEAK with Gang of Thieves @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $5 *
Zeppelin Bowl feat. Gene Ween, Scott Ian, John Medeski @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $20
“Thankful for Amy” with Elise Testone @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 8 p.m. & 12 a.m. – $20 each #
Aqueous with Mungion @ DROM (East Village) – 12 a.m. – $17 #
Particle with J. WAIL @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 11:55 p.m. – $20 #
Madaila @ Arlene’s Grocery (Lower East Side) – 11:55 p.m. – $10 #
Hayley Jane and the Primates do Bowie @ Lucille’s at B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 11:59 p.m. – $10 #
Thursday, Dec. 29
Harlem Gospel Choir @ B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 12:30 p.m. – $30
Dead Sessions @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 4 p.m. & 11:55 p.m. – $20 each * #
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $40
Dar Williams @ The Bell House (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $25-$30
The Skints with The Far East and Rude Boy George @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn) – 8:30 p.m. – $20
The Lone Bellow @ Bowery Ballroom (Lower East Side) – 9 p.m. – $30
Start Making Sense @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 11 p.m. – $20
lespecial with Chromatropic @ DROM (East Village) – 12 a.m. – $15 #
Kung Fu @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 12 a.m. – $20 #
Talib Kweli (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 12 a.m. – $10
Friday, Dec. 30
Formula 5 @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 3 p.m. – free *
Holly Bowling @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $20 *
David Wax Museum with Auld Lang Syne @ Mercury Lounge (Lower East Side) – 6:30 p.m. – $20
Tower of Power @ B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. – $45 each
Snarky Puppy @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 8 p.m. – $45
Gov’t Mule @ Beacon Theatre (Upper West Side) – 8 p.m. – $50-$60
Kamasi Washington with The Budos Band @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8:30 p.m. – $40
The Lone Bellow @ Bowery Ballroom (Lower East Side) – 9 p.m. – $30
Cymbals Eat Guitars with Haybaby @ Mercury Lounge (Lower East Side) – 10:30 p.m. – $20
Pink Talking Fish plays Animals @ Gramercy Theater (Gramercy/Flatiron) – 11 p.m. – $29.50 #
Spafford with The Magic Beans @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 11:55 p.m. – $25 #
Sprocket with Kabina @ The Bitter End (Greenwich Village) – 12 a.m. #
The Marcus King Band @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 12 a.m. – $20 #
Sleigh Bells (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 12 a.m. – $15
Saturday, Dec. 31
Stella Blues Band @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $15 *
Holly Bowling @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $20 *
Snarky Puppy @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 8 p.m. – $60
Rainer Maria with Snail Mail @ Saint Vitus (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $25
Kamasi Washington with The Budos Band @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8:30 p.m. – $65-$75
Gov’t Mule @ Beacon Theatre (Upper West Side) – 9 p.m. – $65-$75
Guided by Voices @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn) – 9 p.m. – $70
The Lone Bellow @ Bowery Ballroom (Lower East Side) – 10 p.m. – $40
All-Star James Brown Dance Party @ Gramercy Theater (Gramercy/Flatiron) – 12 a.m. – $35 #
Spafford with The Magic Beans @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 11:55 p.m. – $25 #
Animal Collective (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 12 a.m. – $20-$25
Snarky Puppy @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 1 a.m. – $35 #
The New Deal @ B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 1:30 a.m. – $30 #
* Billed as Phish pre-party
# Billed as Phish after-party
On Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, the 59th annual Grammy awards commence. Some artists will be catapulted into stardom with their first Grammy win, while some artists will climb towards becoming music legends, and other artists will add another award or awards to their already growing legacies.
With the Grammys right around the corner, NYS Music wanted to pay homage to all the homegrown New York musical talent, and others who have sought out the state of New York to help jump-start their musical careers and call the state home.
Many recognizable, and upcoming artists born and raised in New York that have been nominated for a Grammy award include, Brooklyn native Barbara Streisand for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway;Long Island natives De La Soul for Best Rap Album, And the Anonymous Nobody;New Hartford resident Joe Bonamassa for Best Traditional Blues Album, Live at the Greek Theater and from the Bronx, Fat Joe, for Best Rap Performance, for the single “All the Way Up,” which also features Remy Ma, French Montana and Infared.
New Hartford’s Joe Bonamassa performing at Red Rocks earlier this year.
Other hometown nominees include: Little Louie Vega (Bronx ), for Best Dance/Electronic Album, Louie Vega Starring…XXVIII; guitarist, composer, and arranger Chuck Loeb, (Nyack), for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, Unspoken;Brady Rymer and the Little Band that Could (Southold), for Best Children’s Album, Press Play;Sofi Tukker (NYC) for Best Dance Recording for the track “Drinkee;” Catherine Russell (NYC) for Best Jazz Vocal Album, Harlem on My Mind;John Coltrane’s son Ravi (Long Island) for Best Improvised Jazz Solo, “In Movement;” Claire Lynch (Kingston) for Best Bluegrass Album, North by South;Bob Mintzer (New Rochelle) for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, All L.A. Band;Andy Gonzalez (Bronx) for Best Latin Jazz Album, Entre Colegas and Steve Gadd (Rochester) for Best Contemporary Instrumental AlbumWay Back Home: Live From Rochester, NY. Gadd is also James Taylor’s touring drummer.
Kingston’s Claire Lynch
Many artist have ties to New York and though not born in the state, some call it home. Some of these artists include one of the hottest duos on the EDM scene, The Chainsmokers, who are French-born, Westchester-raised Alexander Pall and Andrew Taggart, a Scottish native raised in Maine and a Syracuse University graduate. After graduation, Taggart was part of the SU Music Business program before taking DJ gigs in NYC where he would eventually meet Pall. The Chainsmokers are nominated for Best New Artist, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their single, “Closer,” which also features Halsey on vocals, and for Best Dance Recording for their single, “Don’t Let Me Down,” which features the singer Daya.
Bob Dylan, the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature recipient, used to reside in New York and wrote many of his most influential music while living in Woodstock. Dylan is credited with helping to create the folk scene in Greenwich Village. His contributions stand among some of New York’s most significant musical pieces. Dylan is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Fallen Angels, and for Best Historical Album, The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series, Vol.12 (Collector’s Edition).
Before his passing on Jan. 10, 2016, David Bowie had a residence for many years in Woodstock. Bowie is nominated for five Grammys including Best Rock Performance, Blackstar, Best Rock Song, “Blackstar,” Best Alternative Music Album, Blackstar, Best Recording Package, Blackstar, andBest-Engineered Album, Non-Classical, Blackstar.
Other New York transplants nominated for Grammy awards include Snarky Puppy, for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Culcha Vulcha. You can read NYS Music‘s review of this album here. Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, Real Enemies, andPatti Smith for Best Spoken Word Album, M Train.
Snarky Puppy performing at Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre earlier this year.
Singer/songwriter Mike Powell has no shortage of inspiration for writing music. Raised in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, he taught himself guitar at the age of 13, boasting a catalog of 20 or so songs by the age of 15. Powell went on to become one of the most decorated college lacrosse players in history for Syracuse University, declining an offer to play in the pros straight out of college, opting instead to follow his passion for music and songwriting to the stage.
With the reverent simplicity of his soulful voice, an ax, and a harmonica, he delivers nine heartfelt, timeless songs on his fourth album, Tied to the Rail. Eliciting influences from Bob Dylan and John Prine, Mike Powell has been described as a “polite rebel; a truly unique and inspiring American voice,” by The Boston Globe. Powell has also released Blue Eyes and Hand Me Downs, Replevin, and the 2014 Syracuse Area Music Award-nominated Kapow.
Powell eventually did play lacrosse professionally – for the Baltimore Bayhawks in 2005 and the Boston Cannons in 2007. Two years later, he was back on stage, touring alongside Sarah Lee, the granddaughter of Woody Guthrie. A woodworker, Powell nearly lost his ring finger on his playing hand while moving a stack of logs in 2014. With a varied past such as his, it comes as no surprise that Powell is such a great storyteller!
The album kicks off with the folk/southern rock hybrid “Empire,” a track that showcases the power of what one can accomplish with the simplicity of an acoustic guitar and Powell’s smokey yet earnest voice. It’s a taste of what’s to come – a no-frills album showcasing powerful lyrics by a seasoned vocalist.
The second track, “Bibles and Bourbon,” features a signature steel guitar and is a short but sweet busker song, good for helping you get out of your own head.
His lyrics – like these from “Mary Anne” – are pieces of Americana.
When the water cost money and the drugs seem cheap
When all your dreams stay lost in your sleep
And you can feel a break down coming soon
When your head gets dizzy from the rattle and the spin
And the sadness seems to burn on your skin
And every night you’re left yelling at the moon
Conjuring up images of dusty railroad tracks and bible thumping preachers, “Tied to the Rail” combines folk, soul and a bit of country to create a sound that is sure to give you the feels. Inspired by the birth of his daughter in 2016, Powell is back on the road promoting his third album.
You can catch Powell on the road Tuesday, December 13 at the Light Club Lamp Shop in Burlington, Vermont, at Ray Brothers BBQ in Bouckville, New York on Friday, December 23 and at the Brae Loch Inn in Cazenovia on Friday, December 30.
In January, he returns to the studio with his Black River Band to record a new record set to release in March. He resumes his tour in early 2017 with over a dozen upstate New York appearances already scheduled, many of which Powell will be joined by Black River Band featuring John Hanus on guitar, Shane Kelson on keys, Joe Bell on bass and Dom Scicchitano on drums, with intimate solo shows when appropriate.
Visit Mike Powell on Facebook or his website for more dates or to pick up a copy of Tied to the Rail.
The roots of bluegrass travel from Appalachia through Kentucky in the 1940s, but the origin of one of the most famous duos in bluegrass history is found in New York. On Saturday, December 10, Del McCoury and David Grisman, better known as Del and Dawg will reunite to celebrate 50 years of music. They’ll do so on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, just as they did that first time back in 1966. Del and David will be joined on this very special evening at EMPAC by Jerry McCoury and Chris Warner.
Mandolinist David ‘Dawg’ Grisman, a nickname coined by Jerry Garcia, has combined bluegrass and jazz throughout a career of acoustic prowess. Grisman studied English at NYU and lived in Greenwich Village where the folk scene proliferated in the early 1960s. David learned to play mandolin in a style befitting the father of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe. One of Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, McCoury switched from banjo to guitar, making the pairing with Grisman have a deeper connection in the music.
Grisman spoke to NYS Music from his Northern California home, discussing the origins of Del and Dawg, bluegrass today and the influence of Jerry Garcia on his mandolin playing.
Pete Mason: The performance at RPI on December 10th is the 50th anniversary of your first show with Del. How does it feel to bring your history together full circle? Any memories of that show?
David Grisman: It feels just great to have maintained such a fruitful musical and personal relationship for this long. I still remember the excitement and energy of that first gig together, which was captured on tape and released in part on my album, Early Dawg. I was offered the princely sum of $200 to put a bluegrass band together and was able to obtain the services of Del and his bass-playing brother Jerry, with whom I played in Red Allen’s band. My good friend and banjo whiz, the late Winnie Winston, completed that first ensemble. Later that year (1966) at the 2nd Bluegrass Festival in Fincastle, Virginia, Del asked me to play a set with him. That band included Chris Warner on banjo. Del and I have invited Jerry McCoury and Chris Warner to join us for the second half of this show for a special Bluegrass 50th year reunion set. We’re calling the band The Bluegrass Survivors! We’ll also be playing the next night at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va.
PM: How was bluegrass received in the mid-1960s in New York?
DG: Bluegrass was always exciting for New York audiences, then and now. Of course, now there’s a wider audience. But it always was very special for me, particularly when people like Ralph Rinzler, Mike Seeger, John Cohen and Israel G. Young started promoting concerts with bands like Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys and the Stanley Brothers.
PM: What are some of the highlights of the last 50 years of playing music with Del?
DG: Playing with Del is always special, but one highlight was the tour we did in 1989 as the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience where Del and his band (featuring his sons Ronnie and Rob and two fiddle players) joined me for a two-week tour to promote my LP, Home is Where the Heart Is. Another high point was producing the Mandolin Extravaganza project with Ronnie McCoury, which featured eight bluegrass mandolin masters in various combinations, all backed by Del’s masterful rhythm guitar.
PM: What is the first instance where you knew there was a musical chemistry between you?
DG: I reckon it was the first note we ever played — long ago.
PM: How did playing with Jerry Garcia influence your mandolin playing?
DG: Playing with Jerry opened me up to exploring a lot of possibilities that existed within our many common musical sensibilities. We had both drunk from the same musical well for many years and playing together later in our careers was a great musical and personal experience for me.
PM: You have seen 50 years of bluegrass music, from the beginning of the familiar genre. How have you observed its evolution?
DG: Well to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t there at the beginning which Del & I both agree occurred when Earl Scruggs joined Bill Monroe’s band in 1946 (which already included Lester Flatt and Chubby Wise). I didn’t discover bluegrass music until 1960, but fortunately the original architects of the music were still in their prime and playing. I did get to play with many of them, including Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Red Smiley, Mac Wiseman and Red Allen, who gave me my first “hard-core” bluegrass job. I’m currently working on a project with one of my heroes, the great mandolin master, Jesse McReynolds. Bluegrass has of course “evolved”, taking on many influences that Bill Monroe probably wouldn’t have approved of. In a way it’s become diluted and in my opinion, commercialized by the music business, as have many other genres. I still like the more traditional bands like Del’s. Having said that, I think there are many young musicians who are playing incredible music these days, from Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers to Sierra Hull. I just wouldn’t call it bluegrass. That’s why I called my own music Dawg because I don’t feel it is bluegrass as defined by the creators of that genre.
PM: What is it like to have not only a stage relationship with Del, but to also have sons Monroe Grisman and Ronnie McCoury born a month apart?
DG: Our children are a great source of inspiration. Monroe Grisman is a wonderful musician and singer, but was always in the rock world. He now plays in a very popular band in Marin County, California — Petty Theft. My daughter Gillian (head of production for George Lucas’ Edutopia project) is also musical and even played a gig with John Sebastian’s jug band on washboard bass! My son Samson is a great bass player who currently plays with Lee Ann Womack and the Bryan Sutton Band, as well as my own Bluegrass Experience. My stepson, John R., has been developing into a fine mandolinist and my wife Tracy has subbed for Sam on bass and also plays guitar and fiddle. Of course Del’s sons Ronnie and Rob are fantastic award winning bluegrass musicians and will certainly carry on the McCoury legacy. I know that Del and I are both proud dads and we’ve talked about doing a father & son project someday.
Tickets for Saturday’s Del and Dawg show are available through EMPAC.
Watch Del and Dawg from Oriental Theater in Denver below.
Bassist Tony Markellis, best known for his work with the Trey Anastasio Band, The Mamas and the Papas, Paul Butterfield, David Bromberg, and his own group, the jazz ensemble Kilimanjaro, will be playing a host of local shows in the Northeast to close out 2016.
On Sunday, Dec. 4, Markellis will join the Burns Sisters, a folk duo from Binghamton, performing their holiday show at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs. Then, on Friday, Dec. 9, he will return to Caffe Lena with Jeanne O’ Connor and the New Standard to treat Saratoga Springs to fresh renditions of classic hits from the 1960s and 70s. Next, performing with moe. drummer Vinnie Amico’s side-project, the progressive newgrass outfit Floodwood, Markellis will travel to Wilkes-Barre, PA for stops at the Jazz Café on Saturday, Dec. 10, and for a private concert on Sunday, Dec. 11.
Markellis returns to New York, rejoining the Burns Sisters for their holiday shows at the Hangar Theater in Ithaca on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 16 and 17, and at Six on the Square in Oxford on Sunday, Dec. 18. Lastly, in bringing 2016 to a close, Markellis will reunite with his longtime running mates in Kilimanjaro for a New Year’s Eve performance at the First Night Burlington festival.
And don’t miss a chance to see Markellis with the Trey Anastasio Band this upcoming spring. New York fans will get first crack at TAB tour with two Capitol Theatre shows on April 14 and 15.
Jam for Tots returns to the Capital Region of New York for the 10th year in a row, with a series of performances that bring the live music community together in supporting children in need this holiday season.
Hosted by Luke Weiler of Positive Mental Trip, the event started as a way to help make less fortunate children happy and doing so through music for a positive cause. Working with The Marines Corps, who run Toys for Tots, the events grew from one in 2007 to nine in 2013, while keeping a focus on the Northeast as an area of need.
“Our goal for 2016 is to make as many children happy on Christmas Day and make sure that every person that comes to Jam for Tots leaves happy and glad that they took the time to come,” said Weiler. “We go to great lengths every year to make sure people have a blast at Jam for Tots with raffles, giveaways, great bands and all around good vibes. When a town and a good promoter get behind these events, there is really nothing that can stop them from being successful. This year all four shows are in places that love Jam for Tots and are all about it so they are all gonna rock.”
The four Jam for Tots events kick off on Friday, November 25 in Tannersville at The Spinning Room. Bring a toy for a child as your cover charge for the shows.
Post-punk sensations The Jesus and Mary Chain have been getting back up to speed of late. In 2014 and 2015 they played several tour dates in the run up to last year’s release of Live from Barrowlands, and now longtime Jesus and Mary Chain handler Alan McGee, of Creation Records, has announced that the band is set to release a new studio album in March 2017 on Warner Brothers Records. In an interview with CBC Music, McGee exclaimed, “they’ve made another album. It’s a big deal! It’s unbelievable.”
While the Jesus and Mary Chain, led by brothers Jim and William Reid, released a compilation record, 21 Singles, in 2002, the upcoming release will give fans their first dose of new material since 1998’s Munky. Eighteen years is a long time to wait, but this announcement comes as a taste of candy for all the devoted fans who feared this day would never arrive.
No tour dates have been announced in support of the new release as of yet, however, there remain three chances to catch The Jesus and Mary Chain live in the act before the year ends. The brothers Reid, who are now joined by Scott Van Ryper on guitar, Mark Crozer on bass, and Brian Young on drums, will take the stage at the Georgia Theatre in Athens on December 13, 2016, followed by a performance at The Masquerade in Atlanta, GA on December 14, and then a trip to New Orleans for a show at The Joy Theater on December 16.
Click here for further details, including tickets, and check out the official video for “You Trip Me Up,” from 1985’s landmark release Psychocandy.
Talents in the music world like Zach Deputy are a rare breed. The multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter is from Savannah, Georgia ( I thought he told ya?) He is currently on tour to support his newest album Wash It In The Water. With his upcoming show November 29 at Buffalo Iron Works he recently took the time to talk with me about tour life, our great state of New York and much more.
Tim Merrill: Where in the world is Zach Deputy today on this fifth day of November?
Zach Deputy: That’s today I’m assuming (haha)? I just crossed the California border into Arizona. We are in Tempe, AZ right now. I’ve got a show in Tempe tonight at the Marquee Theater
TM: You’ve got a show later this month in Buffalo. The show is five days after Thanksgiving. How do you plan on spending your Thanksgiving?
ZD: What am I doing for Thanksgiving? Probably hanging out with the Worm. A bunch of Wormtown Family. I’ve spent Thanksgiving there two or three times over the past few years.
TM: You’re no stranger to playing in Buffalo. Is there anything you like to do when you pass through town?
ZD: I’m always down to play disc golf. I love the wings at the Anchor Bar. Some people claim they’re the best. Some people don’t. But yea, that place is awesome. Those wings are legit!
TM: When you’re on tour traveling through the rest of the great state of New York how do you like to spend your time off stage?
ZD: I love Keuka Lake. Swimming in that lake is awesome! I’ve been sick before and jumped in and felt instantly better. I love New York. Lake George, tons of places upstate. Except for the winters. I’m a Southern boy
TM: You’re latest album Wash It In The Water was released a few months ago. What song(s) are you having fun playing on tour off the album?
ZD: I’ve been playing a few different versions of “Put It In The Boogie.” Maybe four different versions but they are always different. I’ve had a lot of fun opening up the jam on that song, especially the solo.
TM: At what age did you pick up your first instrument?
ZD: I’ve always told people that I played my voice first. Before my recollection it was there. But I picked up the guitar at 13. Got one for my 13th birthday.
TM: Whats in store for Zach Deputy in 2017?
ZD: I’m always trying to work on my craft. I’m always trying to give back the love that was so freely given to me. Just trying to make this thing bigger and better. You know, onward and upward. Wherever that takes me!
Doors are at 7 PM and the show starts at 8 PM Tuesday November 29 at Buffalo Iron Works. Tickets are available here. Bring your dancing shoes. See you there!
Runaway Gin – a Tribute to Phish, will perform their first show in New York City on Saturday, November 19 at The Highline Ballroom. Featuring two sets, this South Carolina based Phish tribute act will kick things off at 7pm on Saturday, warming up the crowd as they prepare for Phish at Madison Square Garden in just under 46 days. Runaway Gin is Andy Greenberg on guitar, Bobby Hogg on bass, John Fitzgerald on keys and John Pope on drums. Andy talked to NYS Music about the upcoming show, what makes them a unique band, and performing with Holly Bowling this fall.
Pete Mason: This show marks your first in New York City. Where has the band been playing the most and what are your plans for this first show the Big Apple?
Andy Greenberg: We are so glad to finally play in New York. Since we started in 2014 we definitely have played many many shows at the Pour House in Charleston, South Carolina in particular with our weekly Sunday Phunday residency. Beyond that we ventured into North Carolina and then Georgia and Florida as well as Chicago in the summer of 2015 and then up to Washington D.C. Just this past weekend we went to Birmingham, AL and Oxford, MS for the first time. Our only plans for the show are to get weird, have fun, and play our hearts out. I know so many from NYC and surrounding areas from Phish tour and I am ever so excited to play for many of them for the first time! Some places we play we try and keep things a little light on the jams and more “songy.” New York is not one of those places. We are assuming most everyone there is very familiar (and obsessed) with Phish’s music and we want to go ahead and dive in deep right from the get-go without worry of easing into the show.
PM: What was it like playing a sold out show at Hard Rock Chicago after Fare Thee Well in July 2015?
AG: It was incredible. The whole experience was completely surreal. First of all, being in Chicago with Trey playing with the Dead was beyond anything I could verbalize. To see my guitar hero play with many of his musical heroes in such an epic setting certainly had us all feeling very inspired. The crowd’s energy the whole weekend and at our show was absolutely euphoric and we couldn’t help but reflect that back to them. The fact that there were so many people there was overwhelming, in a good way, especially people that I know well and love and people from our hometown. It was a bit of an out-of-body experience up there on stage. Sometimes you just forget where you are and what you are doing and put all your brain-power into just being in the moment. I guess that’s what we always strive for, especially while jamming. That’s how I felt for that show. I walked off stage not remembering much of what just went down – My mind was too occupied with forming memories in those moments.
PM: Among all the Phish cover bands, what makes Runaway Gin the most unique? What makes you stand out among the rest?
AG: To be honest I’m not really familiar with the other Phish cover bands – not because I don’t want to be – there just aren’t any near us in Charleston. I went to see Phix when I was in college and I’ve seen Pink Talking Fish and become friends with them, although I guess you wouldn’t exactly call them a Phish cover band per se. I can tell you however what we are all about. We try to sound as much like Phish as possible during written sections of songs – I imagine some tributes may put more of their own spin on the written parts. We try to be in the moment and embellish some things from night to night but in a similar way that Phish would deviate from the composition. When it comes to jams we approach them in the same way that I imagine Phish does and has. We don’t learn jams or try to emulate specific versions typically (although we have once or twice) but I’m not sure if other Phish cover bands take this same approach. In terms of setlists, we create our own shows in the same way that Phish would. We don’t play a show that has already occurred like Dark Star Orchestra does. We felt that doing so would take us (and the audience) out of the present moment which I don’t think is authentic to the experience of being at a Phish show. Another thing that is unique about us is – we play all the time. Since 2014 we have played over 200 shows and I think that a big part of Phish’s sound is the chemistry they have developed from playing together so many times. It would be really tough for us to play as we do without playing as often. When we are off for even a week we can all feel the rust – when we play 3-4 nights in a row it typically gets better and better with each show. At least from my perspective.
PM: You’ve recently played a pair of shows with Holly Bowling. How were they and did you collaborate at all during the shows?
AG: We had so much fun sharing the stage with Holly! We did two shows with her the weekend after Dick’s in Charleston and Columbia, SC. It was my first time seeing her live so first of all I was blown away. Piano was my first instrument so I have a very deep connection with what she is doing. I used to sit and transcribe Phish on piano in the earliest stages of my “phandom” and fuse songs together after school for my own amusement. I can’t help but wonder if I had continued playing piano and not switched to guitar in my early teens if I might be doing something in the same vein that Holly is. So the shows were so much fun – really a magical vibe all around! She had the audience in the palm of her hand (you could hear a pin drop during soft sections) and even in tears. Most everyone at the shows, like me, were hearing Holly for the first time and it was such a beautiful thing to facilitate and share in. We did do some collaborating! in Charleston the first night Holly joined us spur of the moment for “Harry Hood” (we chanted “Holly” instead of “Harry”) and again during the encore “Frankenstein” on the keytar. In Columbia for what turned into our “Meat” show Holly joined us for “Also Sprach Zarathustra” and for our first set we closed with “the Squirming Coil” and we brought out Holly’s piano right as we got to the outro section and we walked off stage leaving Fitz and Holly (each on their own pianos) to close the set together with an impromptu piano segment which was stunning to behold!
PM: What else do you have coming up this fall?
AG: After this weekend we are going to be putting on “the Animal Carnival” on Friday, November 25 in our hometown of Charleston. This is also my birthday so it’s basically just a big costume party where everyone is going to dress up like animals and we’re going to play all Phish songs and songs they have covered that reference animals. In December, we are headed to Athens, GA to play legendary Georgia Theater on December 8 and then we play Savannah, GA and Tampa, FL that same weekend. The weekend after that we have our first two-night run in Charlotte, NC at the Rabbit Hole and then on the 30 and 31 of December we will play a two-nighter in Atlanta, GA including a 3-setter for New Years which runs until 2:45 am. This is our first time playing on New Years – I’ve been at Phish every NYE since 2011 and I had to choose between Phish at MSG or at Mayan Riviera. I chose Mexico so that left me open for New Years. We normally don’t play shows when Phish is playing but with MSG tickets being so tough and the weather up there vs. down South I figured we could throw a party nearby for all the phans in the Southeast that couldn’t get tickets or make the trip to New York. So yeah it’s a busy Fall and Winter for us and we’re gonna have some fun!
Saturday show has doors at 6pm and the show starting promptly at 7pm. Check out more info here.
Hosted by Luke Weiler of 
While the Jesus and Mary Chain, led by brothers Jim and William Reid, released a compilation record, 21 Singles, in 2002, the upcoming release will give fans their first dose of new material since 1998’s Munky. Eighteen years is a long time to wait, but this announcement comes as a taste of candy for all the devoted fans who feared this day would never arrive.